Lafayette v. Bass

1926 OK 282, 253 P. 104, 122 Okla. 182, 1926 Okla. LEXIS 236
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedMarch 23, 1926
Docket15618
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 1926 OK 282 (Lafayette v. Bass) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lafayette v. Bass, 1926 OK 282, 253 P. 104, 122 Okla. 182, 1926 Okla. LEXIS 236 (Okla. 1926).

Opinion

RILEY, J.

This cause presents an appeal from the district court of McIntosh county, wherein Berral Bass, a minor, by his guardian. sought judgment in the sum of $10.000 against the three defendants, Ben F. La-Fayette, the Oklahoma Producing & Refining Corporation of America, and the Holcomb Oil Company, lor personal injuries alleged to have been received on account of the concurring negligence of the defendants.

The epitomized facts alleged are: That plaintiff’s father sent a five-gallon can to be filled with coal oil at defendant LaFayette's store, the oil was so purchased, brought h< me. a lamp filled with the same, the lamp exploded and injured the plaintiff, who was studying in the room by the lamp. Facts further show that the kerosene oil was purchased by LaFayette from the Holcomb Oil Company about December 1. 1921. and about 30 days before the injury, and that the Holcomb Oil Company shortly prior thereto had *184 purchased the oil from the Oklahoma Producing & Refining Corporation of America.

Allegations of negligence relied upon are that said kerosene oil was explosive in its nature and was unsafe for use; that the same was sold by the defendants for illuminating purposes and that the defendants knew, or by the exercise of due care could have known, that the same was unsafe for the purpose for which it was sold, and that the same was sold in violation of the laws of the state of Oklahoma, and was sold without being inspected as required by law and regulations of the Corporation Commission, and that a proper inspection would have disclosed the explosive nature of the oil.

The defendants LaFayette and Holcomb Oil Company filed a motion to quash service of summons, which was denied. The Oklahoma Producing & Refining Corporation entered a voluntary appearance.

The defendants filed separate answeis in the form of general denials, specifically denying that the said kerosene was manufactured and sold in violation of law, and alleged a proper inspection; pleading, further, contributory negligence.

The defendant LaFayette, answering, pleaded that he purchased the kerosene from a regular oil jobbing house in the usual manner ; that the oils were properly marked and branded and that he had no knowledge or information of defects, if any; and denied the manufacture' and sale of said oils in violation of law.

Plaintiff filed a general denial. The cause was submitted to a jury. Each defendant objected to the introduction of evidence on the grounds that the court had no jurisdiction for the reason that all the defendants were nonresidents of McIntosh county. These objections were overruled. The defendant LaFayette demurred to plaintiff's evidence on the ground that plaintiff failed to establish any negligence on his part. The demurrer was overruled. Likewise defendants’ request to the court for a directed verdict was denied.

The court, upon request of defendants, submitted to the jury a request for a special finding of fact which was as follows;

“* * * It is, therefore, proper that this question be submitted to you, and therefore you are asked whether or not the oil sold by the Oklahoma Producing & Refining Corporation of America to the Holcomb Oil Company, and in turn sold to Ben F. LaFayette, was of an inferior grade or quality of kerosene, and mot suitable to be used for the usual and ordinary purposes to which kerosene is put.”

The answer made by the jury to the special interrogatory was as follows:

“Answer; Can’t agree. (Signed) G. C. Hale, Foreman.”

The judgment of the court was in favor of plaintiff and against the defendants in the sum of $1,000, in accordance with the verdict of the jury.

All the defendants appeal and file separate briefs. The assignments of error are similar, and we shall consider them as nearly as possible in the chronological order.

It is first contended that the district court of McIntosh county was without jurisdiction of the defendants and, therefore, without jurisdiction to render any judgment whatever.

The plaintiff was a resident of McIntosh county. The cause of action arose there. The Oklahoma Producing & Refining Corporation of America was a foreign corporation. Section 205, Compiled Oklahoma Statutes, 1921, and article 9, section 43, of the Constitution, provide that a foreign corporation may be sued in any county where the cause of action arose, or where the plaintiff resides. A., T. & S. F. Ry. Co. v. Lambert, 32 Okla. 665, 123 Pac. 428; Shelby-Downard Asphalt Co. v. Enyart, 67 Okla. 237, 170 Pac. 708; Martin v. Federal Motor Co., 89 Okla. 273, 215 Pac. 737.

Section 202, Compiled Oklahoma Statutes, 1921, provides, amongst other things, that a suit may be brought against a domestic corporation in the county where the cause of action arose. Summons was served upon the Holcomb Oil Company, a domestic corporation, in the city of Muskogee, the county of its principal office.

The defendant LaFayette was served in Oklahoma county. Section 234, Compiled Oklahoma Statutes, 1921, provides, “where the action is rightfully brought in any county, the summons shall be issued to any other county against any one or more defendants at plaintiff’s request.” Okla. Natl. Bk. v. Ezzard, 58 Okla. 251, 159 Pac. 267.

Therefore, we conclude that under section 202, supra, the cause of action arising in McIntosh county, summons properly issued to the Holcomb Oil Company, the domestic corporation, in Muskogee county, and that, action rightfully being brought against said domestic corporation, summons rightfully issued to LaFayette in Oklahoma coun *185 ty, and the trial court properly overruled the motion to quash service of summons.

We consider the second and third assignments of error together. They are as follows :

Second. The evidence of plaintiff was insufficient and failed to establish negligence on the part of any of the defendants and failed to establish violation of any law of the state of Oklahoma, or of any rules or regulations of the Corporation Commission, and demurrer to the evidence should have been sustained; and

Third. The positive, undisputed testimony of the defendants negatives any allegations or inference ’ of negligence, or violation of any law, rule, or regulation, and the peremptory instruction requested by each of the defendants should have been given.

These two assignments of error may be reduced to the inquiry as to whether there was evidence sufficient to warrant the cause being submitted to the jury. In determining the answer to this inquiry, we look to the allegations of negligence contained in plaintiff’s petition, heretofore recited, and find it said that the oil was in fact unsafe, and that the same was sold without being inspected as required by law. It was agreed by the parties that the ■ oil which exploded was sold to the father of plaintiff by defendant LaFayette, and that LaFayette purchased the same from the Holcomb Oil Company, and that that company had purchased the same from the Oklahoma Producing & Refining Corporation of America, the manufacturer.

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Bluebook (online)
1926 OK 282, 253 P. 104, 122 Okla. 182, 1926 Okla. LEXIS 236, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lafayette-v-bass-okla-1926.